Ciara Sivels (born 1990) is an American nuclear engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. She was the first black woman to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan. She was named an IF/THEN Ambassador in 2019 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
| Ciara Sivels | |
| Fields: | Nuclear engineering, nuclear physics |
| Alma Mater: | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan |
| Workplaces: | Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory |
| Awards: | American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN Ambassador |
| Thesis Year: | 2018 |
| Thesis Url: | https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/147543 |
| Thesis Title: | Development of an Advanced Radioxenon Detector for Nuclear Explosion Monitoring |
Sivels is from Chesapeake, Virginia.[1] She attended Hickory High School.[2] [3] Sivels was originally interested in culinary arts, but took an Advanced Placement class in chemistry and became interested in science.[4] [5] She completed her undergraduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,[6] During her time at MIT, Sivels interned for Teach For America before considering a career in academic research. She also served in various leadership roles at the MIT chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.[7]
Sivels joined the University of Michigan (UoM) in 2013 for her graduate studies, working on Beta-Gamma coincidence-detectors and nuclear forensics with Sara Pozzi.[8] Her thesis considered nuclear nonproliferation using radioxenon for nuclear explosion monitoring in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.[9] [10] She developed a new "plug and play" radioxenon detector device to improve monitoring at.[11] [12] She received the first Place Poster Award US Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration University and Industry Technical Interchange in 2016.[13]
During her graduate studies, Sivels was one of three black women completing their PhD. She engaged with the Detroit Pre-College Engineering Program, supporting high school students from minority backgrounds.[14] She also founded the Women in Nuclear Engineering in Radiological Sciences group at UoM.[15] [16] In 2018, Sivels was the first black woman to earn a PhD in nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan, considered the top nuclear engineering program in the United States.
Sivels currently works at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory[17] and her work, funded through the Department of Defense, is highly classified.[18] Sivels is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers.[19]
In 2019, Sivels was chosen to be one of the 125 national American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN Ambassadors.[20] [21] [22] The award recognizes the work of women in science, technology, engineer and mathematics fields as part of an outreach initiative to encourage the representation of women in STEM fields. Subsequently, a 3D printed statue of Sivels was displayed on the Smithsonian National Mall in March 2022 as part of Women's History Month. [23] She was named a "Millennial to Watch" by the US Office of Nuclear Energy in 2019.[24]
Sivels was featured on a GoldieBlox episode "Draw Her Life" empowering girls in STEM fields.[25]